Written Answers Wednesday 5 September 2007

Scottish Executive

Access for People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to promote and improve funding for disabled access improvements to public and private buildings.

Stewart Maxwell: Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), service providers and public authorities are required to make reasonable adjustments to allow access for disabled people. The Scottish Government will ensure that the services that it provides, and the public functions that it delivers, meet the requirements of the DDA. We expect other organisations to do the same.

  Work to ensure disabled people can readily access buildings where the Scottish Government is a major occupier has been on-going for a number of years. Access Audits have been performed for all of our properties and a range of works carried out to improve access for visitors with a disability. A further range of works have been identified to be carried out during the current financial year.

  We also recognise the role that local access panels can play and have provided support to develop their capacity over recent years.

Agriculture

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend Single Farm Payment support beyond 2013.

Richard Lochhead: Decisions on extending Single Farm Payment support beyond 2013 will be taken in the context of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy for 2013 onwards.

Audiology

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) graduate diploma students in audiology will complete the course in 2008 and (b) BSc audiology students are expected to graduate in 2009.

Fiona Hyslop: In Scotland only Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh offers courses in audiology, 2005-6 was the first year in which the course was offered.

  Queen Margaret University state that eight students are enrolled on audiology courses at the graduate diploma level who are expected to graduate in 2008 and six students enrolled on audiology courses at the BSc level who are expected to graduate in 2009.

Biodiversity

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to deliver biodiversity gains if the Rural Stewardship Scheme agreements are allowed to expire.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government works closely with a wide range of partners and stakeholders across Scottish society to deliver the aims of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. We will ensure that rural land managers can continue to secure recognition for delivering biodiversity gains by means of the Rural Development Contracts which will be available under the new Scotland Rural Development Programme.

Child Protection

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the operation and effectiveness of the National Child Protection Line.

Adam Ingram: The operation of the Child Protection Line is under review and development through a national working group, whose membership includes representatives from Child Protection Committees (including police and social workers) and out-of-hours and phone-based child protection service providers. See www.scotland.gov.uk/childprotection for further information.

  We plan to commission a rigorous independent evaluation of the service after it has been operational for 18 months, in August 2008.

Child Protection

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase public awareness of the National Child Protection Line.

Adam Ingram: We are currently considering how best to increase public awareness of the national Child Protection Line and will be discussing proposals with the national working group for this project and with Child Protection Committees.

Children with Disabilities

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scotland will gain under the Barnett formula as a result of the UK Government’s recent announcement of additional funding for services for children with disabilities and how the Executive will allocate this money.

Adam Ingram: As indicated in my answer to question S3W-1486 on 19 July 2007, consequential funding is agreed biannually and is dependent on confirmation from HM Treasury that any additional funding announced by departments is new money and has not been reallocated from existing resources. Where consequential funding is received, it is held centrally. Funding is then allocated by the Scottish Government in light of all competing pressures and the government’s priorities.

  At the present time there has been no indication of the status of this announcement on support for disabled children.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Class Sizes

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will implement its goal to reduce class sizes when many schools have no additional accommodation or resources to accommodate extra classes.

Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-1362 on 10 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Communities Scotland

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to transfer the functions of Communities Scotland to local authorities and, in particular, which functions will be transferred, when these functions will be transferred and whether appropriate funding will be transferred to local authorities along with these functions.

Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-125 on 7 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Disclosure Scotland

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to streamline the disclosure process for churches, voluntary and charitable organisations.

Adam Ingram: The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 will provide a modern, streamlined, efficient and effective vetting and barring system. People who work or volunteer with children and/or protected adults will apply to join the vetting and barring scheme once. Thereafter, their scheme record will be kept up-to-date so that they no longer have to undergo a time-consuming disclosure check each time they change posts. This will be beneficial for the individuals and the organisations they work with including churches, voluntary and charitable organisations. Implementation of the new scheme is on-going with full stakeholder engagement including a Voluntary Sector Issues Group on which churches, voluntary and charitable organisations are represented.

  In the interim, organisations now have the option of applying to Disclosure Scotland direct for free disclosure checks for volunteers in the voluntary sector working with children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk.

Drug Misuse

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training were (a) known and (b) estimated to have a drugs problem in each year since 1999.

Fiona Hyslop: Information on the number of people who are 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training and who have a drug problem is not held centrally.

Dyslexia

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a uniform definition of dyslexia across Scotland.

Adam Ingram: There is no single or commonly agreed definition of dyslexia across Scotland. However, the Scottish Executive is in the early stages of taking forward work to develop a working definition of dyslexia which can be readily understood by parents and be of practical use to teachers in the classroom.

  Whatever definition is used, education authorities and schools should have appropriate arrangements in place for identifying and meeting the needs of each individual pupil.

Employment

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government and the European Union about making it easier for UK businesses to understand more easily the qualifications gained by migrant workers in their own countries and whether the Executive supports any move to standardise educational qualifications in the EU.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Executive is actively working with the European Commission in the development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) which aims to be implemented across Europe by 2009. The EQF aims to improve the mobility of individuals and their qualifications by acting as a translation device. By mapping national qualification frameworks to the EQF individuals and employers will be able to understand and compare qualifications across Europe. The Scottish Executive hosted a conference in September 2005 to launch the consultation on the EQF which was instrumental in shaping the proposal. Since then, the Scottish Executive has continued to work alongside the Commission and is currently involved in a number of projects designed to test the EQF.

  Scotland has its own qualifications framework, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). The SCQF is one of the leading operational frameworks across Europe and we are well placed to map the SCQF against the EQF once the Recommendation is approved.

  Scotland also takes an active role in the Bologna Process which aims to create greater coherence across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. To facilitate mobility within the EHEA all 46 participating countries have agreed to produce a national qualifications framework. Scotland is one of only two countries that have so far successfully self-certified their Framework for Qualifications of Scottish Higher Education Institutions against the overarching Framework for Qualifications of the EHEA.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth and officials within his area of responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions from their activities and how successful this action has been.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and officials within her area of responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions from their activities and how successful this action has been.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and officials within her area of responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions from their activities and how successful this action has been

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and officials within his area of responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions from their activities and how successful this action has been.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and officials within his area of responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions from their activities and how successful this action has been.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the Office of the First Minister to reduce the carbon emissions from its activities and how successful this action has been.

John Swinney: I would refer the Member to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment’s opening speech to the Greener Scotland debate on 13 June 2007. He acknowledged the good work that is being done throughout the public sector but made it clear that we are not doing enough or going forward fast enough. He announced that the Scottish Government will work with its partners to develop and publish a detailed programme to improve the Scottish public sector’s environmental and sustainability performance. Cabinet Secretaries and ministers are fully committed to that programme for action both personally and in terms of how they develop their portfolios.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the responses to its consultation on the transposition in Scotland of EU legislation which affects the liability of those operators risking or causing significant environmental damage.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Executive received some 250 responses to its first public consultation exercise on the Environmental Liability Directive.

  Where consultees have given their consent to publication, our findings will be published on the Executive’s website shortly.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1057 by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007, whether plans for the transposition in Scotland of the EU environmental liability directive will be subject to further public consultation prior to the introduction of the necessary secondary legislation.

Michael Russell: Yes, a further public consultation, including draft regulations intended to transpose the Directive, will be held in the autumn.

Environment

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a ban on burning garden waste in private domestic gardens.

Michael Russell: No. There is existing legislation allowing local authorities and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency within the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended to take action against those causing a nuisance or pollution through bonfires.

Environment

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it has made to ensure that Scotland’s environment benefits from the new EU LIFE+ funding programme; how it will maximise the proportion of the UK’s LIFE+ annual allocation that is won by Scottish bids, and how it intends to help, support and source co-financing for Scottish LIFE+ bids.

Michael Russell: LIFE+ is managed directly by the European Commission under the terms of the EU LIFE+ Regulation. The Commission has recently published on its website near-final drafts of forms and guidance notes for the use of applicants.

  The Scottish Executive is using networks of interested groups to disseminate information and promote dialogue among likely collaborators in advance of the Commission’s formal call for bids which is expected to be in mid-late September. Nature conservation will be an important LIFE+ topic in Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage has agreed to take a leading role, including facilitating the development of a possible bid for the machair.

  We are also looking at creation of a single portal for LIFE+ applicants, supporting them from the earliest ideas through to final consideration by the Commission.

Flooding

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-1653 and S3W-2751 by Michael Russell on 24 July and 16 August 2007 respectively, how much of the £75 million made available to local councils for flood prevention for 2006-08 remains.

Michael Russell: The budget for this financial year is £42 million of which £19.5 million has been allocated to date. It is for local authorities to come forward with confirmed schemes to take up the remaining resources.

Forestry Commission

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential properties have been sold by the Forestry Commission during the last 10 years and, of these, how many have been sold (a) with vacant possession and (b) to sitting tenants.

Michael Russell: Over the last 10 years, Forestry Commission Scotland has sold 149 residential properties, including 58 with vacant possession. The remaining 91 properties were offered to sitting tenants at a discounted purchase price. This resulted in 61 properties being sold to the tenants, and 30 being sold to third parties, subject to the existing tenancies.

Housing

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total estimated cost is of meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015 in respect of local authority owned housing stock, also broken down by local authority.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Local authorities that have submitted Standard Delivery Plans (SDPs), setting out how they will achieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS), plan to invest approximately £1.94 billion by 2015. This figure is in 2004-05 prices and is based on individual local authorities’ interpretations of the Standard and assessment of investment needs.

  The breakdown of planned SHQS investment by local authority is as follows:

  

Local Authority
Total Expenditure to Meet SHQS (£000)


Aberdeen City Council
210,752


Aberdeenshire Council
115,084


Angus Council
10,405


Clackmannanshire Council
15,307


Dundee City Council
133,760


East Ayrshire Council
91,759


East Dunbartonshire Council
38,019


East Lothian Council
131,485


East Renfrewshire Council
40,191


Falkirk Council
124,796


Fife Council
200,420


Midlothian Council
34,534


Moray Council
7,382


North Ayrshire Council
147,474


North Lanarkshire Council
237,317


Orkney Islands Council
5,066


Perth and Kinross Council
53,729


Shetland Islands Council
6,777


South Ayrshire Council
65,712


South Lanarkshire Council
213,000


West Lothian Council
55,350


Total Expenditure
1,941,328



  Local authorities that have transferred their stock to housing associations (Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Eilean Siar and Argyll and Bute), or that are in the process of doing so (Inverclyde) are not required to submit an SDP. Stirling, Renfrewshire, Highland, Edinburgh and West Dunbartonshire Councils are currently developing their SDPs which will include details of their planned SHQS related investment.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the minutes of the meetings of the Housing Supply Task Force.

Stewart Maxwell: Yes.

International Relations

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the total funding available for the Humanitarian Health Fund.

Linda Fabiani: The Humanitarian Health Fund is part of the International Development Fund. The Fund and Policy are presently under review as a conversation takes place to assess the most strategic way forward for Scotland’s investment in international development. Decisions as to the nature and totality of the funding for future grants will be made in accordance with the review outcomes.

Museums

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is being made available to the Museum of Lead Mining to enable it to gain Museum of Significance status.

Linda Fabiani: In addition to the one-off funding of £40,000 which the government gave in 2003 to the Museum of Lead Mining in Wanlockhead to address the museum’s financial deficit, the government gave a further £30,000 one-off funding in 2006-07, again to address a financial deficit. The government also gave £5,000 in 2006-07 to recruit a manager. This funding allowed the museum to re-open for the 2007 season.

  The Scottish Museums Council, which is funded by the government to support local museums, is working with the museum to assist it in developing its application to the Museums Significance Recognition Scheme seeking to ensure its longer term financial stability. Meanwhile, the government is keeping closely in touch with the situation at the museum.

NHS Hospitals

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct NHS Lanarkshire to proceed with the planned construction of a new cancer centre at Monklands Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-998 on 22 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

NHS Staff

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to NHS boards on the appointment of consultant surgeons.

Nicola Sturgeon: The appointment of consultants is governed by the National Health Service Appointment of Consultants (Scotland) Regulations 1993. These regulations require the appointing authority to constitute an Advisory Appointments Committee, which must include members drawn from a National Panel List, to make recommendations on appointments.

  General guidance on medical and dental appointments, including appointment of consultants under the regulations, is published annually along with a National Panel List. Copies of the current guidance and list are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 43505 and 43504 respectively).

  A review of the National Health Service Appointment of Consultants (Scotland) Regulations 1993 is currently being undertaken which will include research into best practice recruitment principles.

NHS Staff

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to NHS boards on the use of locum consultant surgeons.

Nicola Sturgeon: A  Code Of Practice In The Appointment And Employment Of Locum Doctors - NHS Circular: PCS (DD) 1998/1  was issued to health boards in Scotland on 23 January 1998. A copy of this guidance is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43515). The code provides good practice guidance for employing locums. It does not provide guidance on the circumstances in which locums should be appointed; this is a matter for health boards as NHS Scotland employers.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the lack of explicit structures in public policy to consider independent living for disabled people is hampering efforts by it, NHS boards and local authorities to implement the ideal of independent living.

Stewart Maxwell: The public sector duty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, which came into force in December 2006, provides an opportunity for public bodies to focus on the needs of disabled people and develop work on independent living. Other recent initiatives also support independent living such as the new national guidance on self-directed support, which was issued in July, and tasks local authorities with developing local infrastructures in order to increase uptake.

  However, the Scottish Government recognises the specific references to independent living in work carried out by the Disability Rights Commission and by the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee and is currently considering what further steps need to be taken to advance independent living in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in the year.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether current legislation properly reflects its commitment to independent living and, if not, what steps it intends to take to rectify this.

Stewart Maxwell: A number of pieces of relevant legislation relating to independent living, including employment and benefits legislation and anti-discrimination legislation, is reserved to Westminster.

  In Scotland, the Scottish Government is currently considering what steps need to be taken to advance independent living and we will announce our plans later in the year.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish an independent living task force to consider properly how independent living concerns can be fully integrated into public policy.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government recognises the specific references to independent living in work carried out by the Disability Rights Commission and by the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee and is currently considering what further steps need to be taken to advance independent living in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in the year.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering improvements to the legislative rights of disabled people so that they receive essential services, in order to make independent living a realisable goal for them.

Stewart Maxwell: Some legislative rights, for example, those relating to employment and benefits, are contained in legislation reserved to Westminster.

  In the Scottish context, Scottish ministers are considering what steps need to be taken to advance independent living in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in the year.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is planning to improve current levels of consultation with disabled persons’ groups when making future decisions that shape relevant policy areas.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to consultation and engagement with disabled people. We currently fund a number of national disability led organisations to assist us with this. We regard this as an important feature of our work and will want to continue to provide support.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publicise more widely the funding resources available for disabled individuals and representative groups.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to equality of opportunity for disabled people and is keen to ensure that disabled people and disability organisations receive support and information that meets their needs.

  We currently support the work of a number of national disability organisations to help us to improve the flow of information to disabled people and disability organisations. For example, the Scottish Government funds a number of organisations to publicise the availability of direct payments for self-directed support including UPDATE, (Scotland’s National Disability Information Service), the Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network (SPAEN) which provides information and support to those individuals interested in employing personal assistants, the Scottish Consortium of Direct Payment Support Organisations (SCDPSO) which provides a forum for direct payments support organisations throughout Scotland to work together, and Contact a Family Scotland for a direct payments information service.

  We are happy to look at how we further improve the flow of information and will continue to explore this with disabled people and disability organisations.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures performance in respect of the promotion of independent living for disabled people.

Stewart Maxwell: The public sector duty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, which came into force in December 2006, provides an opportunity for public bodies to focus on the needs of disabled people and develop work on independent living. The duty also provides a reporting framework for progress towards disability equality with the first annual reports due in December 2007. This may provide some measure of the progress being made towards independent living.

  However, the Scottish Government is also considering what further steps need to be taken to advance independent living in Scotland, and how performance can be measured most effectively, and we will announce our plans later in the year.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to honour its commitment to social justice and social inclusion improvements with regard to disabled people.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government will take forward its commitment to improved social inclusion for disabled people through the delivery of its five strategic objectives and overarching purpose, which commit all public services to creating a fairer Scotland with opportunities for all Scots to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth.

  A number of policies and programmes act to deliver this commitment in relation to disabled people. For illustration, disabled people are a priority group for all seven of the target areas for the Workforce Plus employability framework, and the Scottish Government directly supports a programme run by the Child Poverty Action Group to enhance the provision of high-quality advice on the tax credits and benefits to families affected by disability.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will help to address income inequality between disabled and non-disabled people.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to creating a fairer, wealthier Scotland and will work towards this end through delivery of its five strategic objectives and overarching purpose. It will help to address income inequality between disabled and non-disabled people through the provision of a number of policies and programmes, from the promotion of disability equality to the Workforce Plus employability framework, which seeks to maximize opportunities to access good quality sustainable employment for the most disadvantaged in relation to the labour market, including disabled people.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to develop a package of national measures to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is aware of the calls for national measures to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people which were made in the Equal Opportunities Committee’s Disability Inquiry Report  Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities (November 2006), in the Disability Working Group’s report (November 2006). These reports will inform our consideration of what steps need to be taken to further promote disability equality and advance independent living in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in the year.

Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many arrests proceeded under the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year since its enactment, broken down by sheriff court district if available or sheriffdom.

Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not held centrally.

Racism

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions there are in the curriculum to address anti-English racism.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce any further measures to the curriculum to address anti-English racism.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is committed to tackling racism in all its forms and whoever it is directed at. Schools are, of course, at the very heart of preparing young people to live and play a valuable part in an inclusive, multi-cultural society. A lot of valuable work is already being done in schools around issues of racism and it would be open to schools to include this aspect of racism in their teaching.

Research and Development

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are currently employed at Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian universities having moved from the Hannah Research Institute when it closed.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether staff formerly employed at the Hannah Research Institute and now employed by Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian universities will be allowed to retain and fulfil the remainder of their transitional funding grants (less the grant holder’s salary) if re-employed by other Scottish academic, health or other appropriate bodies before 31 March 2009.

Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-3274 on 3 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Natural Heritage

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage has a role to play in urban environments.

Michael Russell: Scottish Natural Heritage’s statutory responsibilities are set out in the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991. All these responsibilities have relevance for urban environments.

Voluntary Sector

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided to agencies in Dumfries and Galloway from the Working for Families Programme in 2006-07 and how much will be provided in 2007-08.

Stewart Maxwell: Dumfries and Galloway received £600,000 per annum from the Working for Families programme in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Waste Management

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to standardise the various recycling initiatives undertaken by local authorities to maximise an effective Scotland-wide waste management strategy.

Richard Lochhead: The type of recycling service provided in any given area is the responsibility of the local authority. This allows variation in housing types and other demographic factors to be taken into account.

  There is a standard approach to waste awareness campaigns in Scotland developed by the Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG) and used by all 32 local authorities. SWAG has also developed standard terminology and signage for Recycling Centres and Recycling Points.

  I plan to hold a Waste Summit later this year to discuss the way forward on waste management and recycling.

Waste Management

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an alternative weekly collection for residual refuse collection in a local authority area is a prerequisite for accessing funding from the Strategic Waste Fund.

Richard Lochhead: We consider a number of different factors, including residual waste collection methods, when assessing bids to the Strategic Waste Fund. However, alternate weekly collections are not a prerequisite for funding.

Weather

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average rainfall has been each year since 1950.

Michael Russell: Figures on rainfall in Scotland are published by the Met Office at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/seriesstatistics/scotrain.txt . The average annual rainfall in Scotland since 1950 has been extracted from this source and is set out in the chart and following table:

  Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1950-2006

  

  

Year
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959


Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
1,556.9
1,450.6
1,275.7
1,340.0
1,706.1
1,131.3
1,422.6
1,456.8
1,318.3
1,315.9



  

Year
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969


Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
1,268.3
1,401.6
1,409.2
1,215.6
1,234.7
1,346.6
1,426.2
1,526.8
1,216.2
1,185.8



  

Year
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979


Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
1,441.3
1,161.9
1,154.0
1,245.1
1,449.3
1,217.2
1,271.3
1,385.5
1,352.0
1,472.7



  

Year
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989


Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
1,460.5
1,472.5
1,578.7
1,442.6
1,401.5
1,439.9
1,572.3
1,296.1
1,529.7
1,428.9



  

Year
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999


Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
1,819.7
1,402.1
1,663.4
1,424.6
1,551.9
1,432.7
1,226.5
1,371.0
1,676.9
1,666.3



  

Year
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006


Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
1,625.8
1,307.7
1,618.5
1,206.5
1,685.6
1,582.2
1,646.5



  Source: Met Office.

  Notes:

  The average annual rainfall figure includes snow that has been melted by the observer.

  The average values have been derived from 5km grids.

  Allowances have been made for topographic, coastal and urban effects where relationships are found to exist.

Wildlife

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give consideration to extending the seasons during which greylag geese may be shot in the Western Isles, in light of the interests of crofters.

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider re-examining the present schedule of protection afforded to greylag geese in the Western Isles.

Michael Russell: If there is appropriate justification, licences can be issued for shooting geese outwith the open season. Any change to the shooting season would need to be justified on the basis of evidence and would need to be compatible with the requirements of the EU Wild Birds Directive. Scottish Natural Heritage have agreed to undertake a population assessment of the Western Isles which will provide an essential input to considering whether changes to the season or to other management approaches are necessary or appropriate.

Young People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what number and percentage of people aged 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training had a disability in each year since 1999 .

Fiona Hyslop: The official sources for estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 19 not in employment, education or training are the Labour Force Survey and the Annual Population Survey. Table 1 shows the estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 19 and not in employment, education or training who have a disability and the estimates of the proportion of people who are aged 16 to 19 and not in employment, education or training who are disabled.

  As these estimates are taken from sample surveys they are subject to a degree of error.

  Table 1 Number and Proportion of People who are Aged 16 to 19 and Not in Employment, Education or Training with a Disability

  

 
Number
Percentage


1999
8,000
20.4%


2000
6,000
15.3%


2001
6,000
14.5%


2002
**
**


2003
7,000
19.6%


2004
6,000
17.4%


2005
8,100
22.3%


2006
6,900
21.7%



  Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Quarters combined for 1998-2002. Annual Scottish LFS (ASLFS) for 2003. Annual Population Survey 2004 onwards

  Notes:

  1. Data for 1999-2003 are based on a seasonal year (March to February) whereas data for 2004 onwards are based on a calendar year (January to December).

  2. Disability is self determined.

  ** Data are unreliable.

Young People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of people aged 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training by (a) local authority, (b) local enterprise company and (c) postcode area in each year since 1999.

Fiona Hyslop: The official sources for those aged 16 to 19 not in employment, education or training are the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, in a research report carried out by the Training and Employment Research Unit of Glasgow University on behalf of the Scottish Executive it was recommended that a combination of School Leavers Destinations Statistics and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits information are used to monitor the change at a local level. It is recognised that this measure underestimates the true number of 16 to 19-year-olds not in employment, education or training however it provides a reliable and consistent measure below the national level. Table 1 shows the number of 16 to 19-year-olds entering negative destinations combined with the number of 18 to 19-year-old benefit claimants by local authority.

  Information on school leavers destinations and DWP benefits are not available by Local Enterprise Company. Therefore table 2 shows the estimated number of 16 to 19-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training by local enterprise company taken from the LFS/APS. Data from the LFS/APS are only available by local enterprise company from 2003 onwards. Please note that these estimates are subject to a degree of error.

  Data on the number of people who are aged 16 to 19 and not in employment, education or training by postcode area are not held centrally.

  Table 1. Those Entering a Negative Destination on Leaving School or Claiming a DWP Benefit by Local Authority Area

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006


Aberdeen
900
920
1,020
990
1,010
990
730
720


Aberdeenshire
690
600
560
630
830
840
660
620


Angus
510
530
530
540
550
500
420
480


Argyll and Bute
400
410
360
350
360
320
310
370


Clackmannanshire
300
330
310
320
410
330
280
320


Dumfries and Galloway
770
680
670
640
640
660
670
640


Dundee
1,110
1,010
1,090
1,060
1,150
1,000
920
960


East Ayrshire
860
790
820
820
890
820
880
820


East Dunbartonshire
410
430
410
370
410
360
310
300


East Lothian
300
310
330
370
450
380
420
410


East Renfrewshire
270
230
260
260
310
390
250
250


Edinburgh
1,600
1,540
1,480
1,580
1,850
1,750
1,960
1,700


Eilean Siar
90
60
50
60
50
70
50
70


Falkirk
760
780
820
780
940
880
750
690


Fife
2,090
2,100
2,190
2,220
2,220
2,100
1,780
1,800


Glasgow
4,790
4,570
4,380
4,180
4,100
4,110
3,370
3,330


Highland
900
950
850
980
930
990
940
800


Inverclyde
630
440
610
600
660
600
460
420


Midlothian
330
320
380
390
400
350
420
430


Moray
390
340
360
290
360
400
430
410


North Ayrshire
1,030
1,010
1,020
910
940
930
830
910


North Lanarkshire
2,140
2,030
2,130
2,140
2,220
2,120
1,720
1,640


Orkney
80
70
50
60
60
60
70
60


Perth and Kinross
490
460
420
440
470
470
380
420


Renfrewshire
990
960
1,070
960
1,030
1,020
840
830


Scottish Borders
390
420
400
420
330
380
360
370


Shetland
60
70
50
60
50
80
70
60


South Ayrshire
670
620
560
610
590
670
550
550


South Lanarkshire
1,590
1,410
1,520
1,640
1,590
1,460
1,360
1,330


Stirling
420
450
380
420
440
370
400
320


West Dunbartonshire
760
590
730
660
630
670
610
630


West Lothian
870
840
800
930
950
900
960
890



  Source: School Leavers Destinations Survey, Department for Work and Pensions.

  Table 2. Number of 16 to 19-Year-Olds Not in Employment, Education or Training by Local Enterprise Company

  

 
2003
2004
2005
2006


HIE Argyll and the Islands ( HIE Earra-Ghaidheal)
**
**
**
**


HIE Caithness and Sutherland (HIE Gallaibh agus Cataibh)
**
**
**
**


HIE Inverness and East Highland (HIE Inbhir Nis agus Taobh Sear na Gaidhealtachd)
**
**
**
**


HIE Lochaber (HIE Loch Abar)
**
**
**
**


HIE Moray
**
**
**
**


HIE Orkney
**
**
**
**


HIE Shetland
**
**
**
**


HIE Skye and Wester Ross (HIE An t-Eilean Sgitheanach is Taobh Siar Rois)
**
**
**
**


HIE Western Isles
**
**
**
**


Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire
3,000
4,000
2,000
3,000


Scottish Enterprise Borders
**
**
**
**


Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway
**
**
**
**


Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire
2,000
2,000
1,000
1,000


Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian
5,000
4,000
6,000
3,000


Scottish Enterprise Fife
**
**
**
**


Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley
**
**
**
**


Scottish Enterprise Glasgow
6,000
7,000
8,000
6,000


Scottish Enterprise Grampian
**
**
**
**


Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire
7,000
4,000
5,000
4,000


Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire
2,000
2,000
**
2,000


Scottish Enterprise Tayside
**
2,000
2,000
2,000



  Source: Annual Scottish LFS (ASLFS) for 2003. Annual Population Survey 2004 onwards.

  Notes:

  1. Data for 2003 are based on a seasonal year (March to February) whereas data for 2004 onwards are based on a calendar year (January to December).

  **Data are unreliable.